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Government Officials suspected for hoarding masks arouses heavy public criticism

Shortage of masks in Hong Kong is increasingly severe. However, the CSI masks that are produced by female inmates and are solely for government bureaux were allegedly used as "new year gifts", causing criticism and controversy.

On February 1, a civilian surnamed Lee drove by Ta Chuen Ping Street in Kwai Chung, he saw a driver in a private car handed out 2 boxes of CSI masks and red packets for a lady, as if presenting her new year gifts.

Many people challenged government officials for being self-serving and thoughtless, refusing to share CSI masks with the public to solve their urgent needs, particularly with the elderly.

A senior supervisor of Food and Hygiene Department, surnamed Kong showed-off numerous boxes of masks on his Facebook with a comment, bragging “shortage? I don’t think so”. Yielding to heavily criticism, he later apologised that the masks did not belong to him, but these were 6-month stocks for all front-line colleagues of his team.

Source: Apple Daily #Feb1
http://bit.ly/2OhPEvf

#FaceMask #Healthcrisis #ChinesePneumonia #CSI
#FailedState #Taxpayers #FaceMasks
Where are the 13-million masks produced on public fund?: Hong Kong Government Refuses to Answer

In mid-February, “Hong Kong Connection”, an investigative programme of RTHK, conducted a study to find out how the Hong Kong government uses the prisoner-made "CSI" masks.

RTHK invoked the “Code on Access to Information” and requested the Logistics Services Department to disclose the number of CSI masks and protective robes the government procured from the Correctional Services Department between 2017 and 2019, as well as the amount allocated to other departments.

On April 1, 2020, the Logistics Services Department responded but refused to disclose informatio “as not to undermine the bargaining power in purchasing protective gear amidst fierce competition”. The department emphasized that the Government has been making every effort to procure anti-epidemic materials.

In mid-February, the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau had revealed that the Logistics Department had purchased an average of 1.1 million masks per month from the Correctional Services Department in 2019. Earlier on, the Correctional Services Department said that in 2019, social welfare agencies, schools and other non-governmental organizations had purchased about 120,000 masks from them.

Reported widely in media was how the government-owned CSI masks were available for sale. Many have been questioning whether the filter masks have been mis-distributed for reselling purpose.

Apparently, the Government is evading to fully disclose the allocation and whereabouts of about 13 million CSI masks produced every year.

Source: 'Hong Kong Connection' RTHK

#Apr5 #CSI #HongKongGovernment